Solar multi-conjugate adaptive optics performance improvement

Zhicheng Zhang*, Xiaofang Zhang, Jie Song

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

In order to overcome the effect of the atmospheric anisoplanatism, Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO), which was developed based on turbulence correction by means of several deformable mirrors (DMs) conjugated to different altitude and by which the limit of a small corrected FOV that is achievable with AO is overcome and a wider FOV is able to be corrected, has been widely used to widen the field-of-view (FOV) of a solar telescope. With the assistance of the multi-threaded Adaptive Optics Simulator (MAOS), we can make a 3D reconstruction of the distorted wavefront. The correction is applied by one or more DMs. This technique benefits from information about atmospheric turbulence at different layers, which can be used to reconstruct the wavefront extremely well. In MAOS, the sensors are either simulated as idealized wavefront gradient sensors, tip-tilt sensors based on the best Zernike fit, or a WFS using physical optics and incorporating user specified pixel characteristics and a matched filter pixel processing algorithm. Only considering the atmospheric anisoplanatism, we focus on how the performance of a solar MCAO system is related to the numbers of DMs and their conjugate heights. We theoretically quantify the performance of the tomographic solar MCAO system. The results indicate that the tomographic AO system can improve the average Strehl ratio of a solar telescope by only employing one or two DMs conjugated to the optimum altitude. And the S.R. has a significant increase when more deformable mirrors are used. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of DM conjugate altitude on the correction achievable by the MCAO system, and present the optimum DM conjugate altitudes.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2015 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology
Subtitle of host publicationOptical Systems and Modern Optoelectronic Instruments, OIT 2015
EditorsKimio Tatsuno, Xiaodi Tan, Yongtian Wang
PublisherSPIE
ISBN (Electronic)9781628417999
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Event2015 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: Optical Systems and Modern Optoelectronic Instruments, OIT 2015 - Beijing, China
Duration: 17 May 201519 May 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume9618
ISSN (Print)0277-786X
ISSN (Electronic)1996-756X

Conference

Conference2015 International Conference on Optical Instruments and Technology: Optical Systems and Modern Optoelectronic Instruments, OIT 2015
Country/TerritoryChina
CityBeijing
Period17/05/1519/05/15

Keywords

  • DM conjugate heights
  • Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO)
  • Strehl Ratio (SR)
  • solar telescope

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